PARIS: France showed a sharply reduced trade deficit of ¤4.69bn ($6.1bn) in March from ¤6.01bn in February, owing mainly to the sale of Airbus aircraft while imports continued to fall, the customs service said yesterday.
The customs service said that exports were rising after sliding for two months.
The export figures had been boosted by a record delivery of Airbus airliners and of a cruise liner. Sales of Airbus airliners totalled 34 aircraft in March worth ¤2.88bn.
The customs service also revised its figure for the trade balance for the whole of 2012 to show a deficit of ¤67.67bn.
Trade with other countries in the European Union fell, but imports fell by more than exports.
In March the deficit with other European countries fell to ¤3.7bn in March from ¤4bn in February.
And in the same month, owing to the delivery of aircraft equipment to China, the trade deficit with China and Hong Kong fell sharply to ¤1.4bn, the lowest level for nearly five years.
AFP
